They played against us before they were famous

[Beans]

Theo Walcott made a sub appearance against us for Southampton in 2005 before Arsenal signed him and he went to the World Cup as a 17yo etc.

Nowhere near the same level of "fame" but 15-year-old Jermaine Pennant came on for Notts County against us in the FA Cup in 1999.

 

[DifferentClass]

My favourite one of these comes courtesy of a Wednesday friend. Probably about 15 years Met him for a pint after they'd been hammered away at Leyton Orient. He was moaning that one of their strikers was dreadful (despite scoring), some young lad on loan from Spurs, reckoned he'd never make it.

Called Harry something, not sure what happened to him....

If a pig thinks you're dreadful that must mean summat...

 

[DifferentClass]

What a great game that was, by the way. Furlong with two goals in his debut, the great Robert Prosinecki (scoring from a Simon Tracey cock-up, as I recall)...Shaun Derry...

Absolutely forgot Furlong played for us, early Warnock had a huge turnover rate!

 

[Pollingtonblade]

A funny one not involving us, didn’t the Pigs turn down Cantona before he went on to win the title with Leeds and become one of the PL best ever players?

I vaguely recall Flashing Blade doing a cover of Cantona sticking two fingers up under the headline Fuck Wednesday in French.

 

[Revolution]

A funny one not involving us, didn’t the Pigs turn down Cantona before he went on to win the title with Leeds and become one of the PL best ever players?

I vaguely recall Flashing Blade doing a cover of Cantona sticking two fingers up under the headline Fuck Wednesday in French.

He had a trial in a 5 a side tournament at the Arena against a US team called Baltimore Blast. Trevor Francis did not pick him up. Big mistake, though not as big as Leeds selling him.

 

[HarryHaslam]

I don’t think pigs actually turned him down story I remember is he played in a match up at Tinsley and scored a hatrick, it was on astroturf and pigs wanted him to stay longer on trial so they could get him playing in a match on grass, Eric said fuck you I’m off or words to that effect.

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

A slightly different perspective on this topic. In the days before loans of players, youngsters learned their trade in the Reserves, so it was common to realise that you had seen a future star years previously without knowing. A quick trawl of my (very patchy) collection of Utd Reserve programmes from the early 1960s provides (among others) these gems:
August 1963, v Blackpool, an 18-year-old Alan Ball, World Cup winner less than 3 years later.
October 1963, v Man Utd, Nobby Stiles, aged 20, another one shortly to win the World Cup.
September 1961, v Man Utd, Johnny Giles, age 20, another all-time great.
August 1962, v Everton, Howard Kendall, age 16, about to embark on a great career as a midfielder, and later as a manager, including at the Lane.
April 1962, v Bury, an even stronger future connection to United, with the appearance of a 17-year-old Eddie Colquhoun.
Other occasional matches at the Lane gave glimpses of future stars:

Even more improbable is the following:


The Derbyshire goalkeeper was Bob Wilson, Arsenal goalkeeper.

 

[1973Blade]

A slightly different perspective on this topic. In the days before loans of players, youngsters learned their trade in the Reserves, so it was common to realise that you had seen a future star years previously without knowing. A quick trawl of my (very patchy) collection of Utd Reserve programmes from the early 1960s provides (among others) these gems:
August 1963, v Blackpool, an 18-year-old Alan Ball, World Cup winner less than 3 years later.
October 1963, v Man Utd, Nobby Stiles, aged 20, another one shortly to win the World Cup.
September 1961, v Man Utd, Johnny Giles, age 20, another all-time great.
August 1962, v Everton, Howard Kendall, age 16, about to embark on a great career as a midfielder, and later as a manager, including at the Lane.
April 1962, v Bury, an even stronger future connection to United, with the appearance of a 17-year-old Eddie Colquhoun.
Other occasional matches at the Lane gave glimpses of future stars:
View attachment 183119View attachment 183120View attachment 183121
Even more improbable is the following:
View attachment 183122

The Derbyshire goalkeeper was Bob Wilson, Arsenal goalkeeper.

And JK Rowling in goal for Yorkshire!

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

And JK Rowling in goal for Yorkshire!

She put in a spell-binding performance…

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

And JK Rowling in goal for Yorkshire!

She played for Stoke, surely?

 

[ben1987]

A slightly different perspective on this topic. In the days before loans of players, youngsters learned their trade in the Reserves, so it was common to realise that you had seen a future star years previously without knowing. A quick trawl of my (very patchy) collection of Utd Reserve programmes from the early 1960s provides (among others) these gems:
August 1963, v Blackpool, an 18-year-old Alan Ball, World Cup winner less than 3 years later.
October 1963, v Man Utd, Nobby Stiles, aged 20, another one shortly to win the World Cup.
September 1961, v Man Utd, Johnny Giles, age 20, another all-time great.
August 1962, v Everton, Howard Kendall, age 16, about to embark on a great career as a midfielder, and later as a manager, including at the Lane.
April 1962, v Bury, an even stronger future connection to United, with the appearance of a 17-year-old Eddie Colquhoun.
Other occasional matches at the Lane gave glimpses of future stars:
View attachment 183119View attachment 183120View attachment 183121
Even more improbable is the following:
View attachment 183122

The Derbyshire goalkeeper was Bob Wilson, Arsenal goalkeeper.

No wonder Brewster is struggling for fitness if he was playing in 1964

 

[Sithblade]

A funny one not involving us, didn’t the Pigs turn down Cantona before he went on to win the title with Leeds and become one of the PL best ever players?

I vaguely recall Flashing Blade doing a cover of Cantona sticking two fingers up under the headline Fuck Wednesday in French.

Leeds is in that direction Eric, now fuck off.